1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a photovoltaic laminate module carrier, and more particularly to a photovoltaic module carrier that is optimized for shipping a plurality of modules as a set, and for facilitating quick and easy assembly of the modules to a mounting rack system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, crystalline photovoltaic (PV) laminate modules comprise layers of glass, modular solar cells with their supporting electrical and mechanical connections, and an aluminum frame. The aluminum frame provides protection during transportation and installation for the glass surrounding the solar cells, protects them against the elements for the duration of their working life, and is part of the traditional method of attaching the module to the mounting structure or racking. Because aluminum is a conductor, a grounding element is required for each module. The cost for the PV module frame is roughly 10% of the entire PV module cost. There are additional costs for the labor and materials to ground the frames to the racking.
Currently, the PV modules are manufactured with the aluminum frame at a factory, and are then shipped either directly to an installation site or to a warehouse. Regardless, the modules must be transported to an installation site, where they must be individually handled and installed on the mounting structure at the installation site. As the PV solar industry continues to mature, different aspects of the sector are getting further scrutiny. Particularly, the total costs, including materials and labor costs for installing and deploying PV systems, often referred to as Balance of System (BOS), has become a focus for cost reduction.
One way to reduce the overall system costs would be to eliminate the aluminum frame from each module. However, this raises issues for safe shipping and assembly at the installation site. Thus, there is a need for an improved technique to safely ship PV modules and to reduce the installation and labor costs at the installation site.